


Easy as A-B-C

by InnerCinema



Series: We're Superheroes [1]
Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bonding, Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Love Is for Children, Natasha Needs a Hug, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Protective Natasha, Tony Stark Has A Heart, but it's okay when the guy sometimes acts like one, not ca2 or im3 compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-09-10
Packaged: 2018-02-11 06:11:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2056827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerCinema/pseuds/InnerCinema
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes 26 snippets to move from something above indifference to something akin to love.</p><p> </p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "A" as astonishing

„I still don’t trust you.“ Yet, his eyes did not hold as much cold as his word might have anticipated. As usually with him, it was best to wait. Be patient. Tony shifted his weight from one foot to another, arms crossed over his Arc Reactor. “But I don’t trust anyone, really.” That, she knew, was a blatant lie. He trusted Potts and Rhodes, maybe even Hogan. And he would trust Banner sooner or later. 

“Then why state the obvious?”

“Move in. All of you. Then, at least JARVIS can warn me of sharp pointy things.”

Well… that was unexpected.


	2. "B" as bothersome

“Why did I invite you again?” Tony groaned and ran his hands over his face in agony as he sat squeezed between Thor and Barton. Expectedly, he was ignored. Well, aside from the Thunderer’s chuckle and Natasha’s almost laugh she was trying to hold back. He still wasn’t sure if she actually relaxed more around them. She did not seem tense right now but then again, she was a superspy.

Sometimes he caught himself comparing her to Natalie Rushman. Looking for resemblances did him no good and now he wondered, if they were allowed to see the real Natasha someday.


	3. "C" as considerate

With very well hidden awe, she looked at the new pieces laying on display in front of her. The new armor is lighter yet more flexible, thinner even. She might actually wear it comfortably during undercover missions. And her new Widow’s Bite… well he had obviously upgraded the old equipment and it looked like there were some new gadgets to explore. Somehow she already knew it would reflect her style entirely – Tony’s work was rarely an inch below perfection. The only question was…

“Why?” she asked.

“We are a team now, right? We have to look out for each other.”


	4. "D" as daily

“Really, Tony? Chocolate chips AND bacon?”

“Stop nagging Steve. I don’t stop you being boring either.”

“I think Anthony’s choice is most edible.”

“See? Even THE GOD of Thunder agrees with me!”

“Only because he wants to stay your favourite.”

“Shut it, birdbrain. I know, you’re jealous but please, please keep it to yourself.”

They paused for a moment when they heard a genuine chuckle from where Natasha was standing in the doorway. It was nice to see some of her masks drop bit by bit. They all were, little by little, in this crazy superhero-frat-house. Who would have thought?


	5. "E" as exercise

“Stark! With me, now!”

“What? Why? What did I do?!” Nevertheless, upon her look he rose from his seat at the kitchen counter and followed suit.

“Nothing.”

“But…?”

“I am not satisfied with your close combat training.”

“Because I missed some punches during AIMs last assault?” He caved one raised eyebrow later. “Okay, but those were only small bruises! No biggie!”

“Still.” she argued displeased. “I will train you from now on. Every two days at 8 pm.”

“But… but I have things to do! And I am fit enough! I bet Pepper…”

“She and I already cleared your schedule.”


	6. "F" as falling

This time, it was Natasha’s turn to fall. 

You would think it’s a boy thing, the way Clint and I fling ourselves from high places. But apparently not. Tony thought as he raced towards the descending body. Too far away!

“Jarvis? Do something! Anything! But make. Me. Faster!”

“Sir, I would not advise…”

“Just. Do. It.”

In some lines of code he saw barriers shutdown and his speed rise. And just right on time at that. E few meters above ground, he got hold of his favorite spider. 

“Gotcha!” After slowing down he flipped down his visor to grin smugly.


	7. "G" as gamble

Trust had always been a thing that solely happened to other people. Clint was the first to prove her wrong.

Natasha took a look around. She did not trust those people. Fully. But she discovered herself relying on them for small things now.

The biggest surprise though had been the Mad Inventor on whom her eyes remained a second longer. She had only started to unravel the layers that defined the enigma that was Anthony Stark. Not for the first time she wondered how someone this broken and distrustful could have weaved them to the dysfunctional family they had become.


	8. "H" as haunted

When he came to the roof that night he could see a familiar silhouette already seated on his favorite spot on the edge. Already lifting the Whiskey bottle to his lips, he sunk down next to her.

“Bad dream?”

He shrugged noncommittally as if he had not been falling, lost in space and eventually choking until he woke. 

“You?”

The assassin mimicked the motion with a humorless smile. He answered with an acknowledging grunt and offered his bottle.

They sat in companionable silence, their demons hovering right above them but never reaching until their imminence faded with the first rays.


	9. "I" as ire

“This was a foolish dare, director.” Natasha’s cold look was countered with one of indifference.

“I did, what I had to do, agent.”

“And I think I will have to reconsider this title when you start to throw away the grace of highly important assets.” She shot back without batting an eyelash and turned towards her boys – most of them holding back an enraged Tony who now eyed her with an unreadable look. 

Without another word, she first nodded at and then walked past them, sure they would follow.

She had thought Fury smarter than stealing old SI weapons technology…


	10. "J" as jeopardy

“Like what you see?” He heard more than saw Pepper’s smirk and swatted his best friend absentmindedly.

Tony hated galas but he could really get used to the view of Natasha Romanoff in an evening gown that showed just the right amount of skin and emphasized just the right… assets.

His brain screamed “Danger! Danger!” But it weren’t the voices from before, forbidding him not to trust the woman with thousand masks. They were… yeah, they were mutual friends now. In a weird way but well… it fitted his new life perfectly.

He should not ever dare to risk this.


	11. "K" as kindred

It was not a thing Natasha would admit but it had become a habit: She had a nightmare, she came to the roof. It was not a rarity when Tony found her there if did not already sit on the edge himself.

They would dwell there for the rest of the night, sharing booze, never alone. Their ghosts, their shadows did not need narration.

A motion pulled her from pondering and a moment later, a head lay on her shoulder, emitting soft snores. 

Smiling as he slept in her presence, she gently ran a hand through the messy brown locks.


	12. "L" as lazy

“What are we watching?”

“Inception. Steve is almost up to date.” Tony looked up, waved idly and turned back to the screen.

Normally during movie night, the spy twins sat curled up in an armchair like the Gordian knot of limbs but Barton was on a mission right now. He did not expect her to shove one of his legs off the couch he occupied in favor of sinking down next to him.

With a pseudo-annoyed huff, he moved a bit to give her more space to sit but a hand on his thigh stopped the movement.

Maybe not, then.


	13. "M" as maudlin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late update!  
> I've been to a festival and therefore unavailable v_v

“Wow… One Year.”

“What is it?”

“I still can’t believe it’s almost a year now since you fuckers moved in.”

“Aww, don’t get all sappy, Stark!”

“In your case more like exasperated, Barton.”

“Still not worth dying my hair red. Or growing boobs.”

“Darling, I love your boobs just the way they are.”

A resigned sigh was followed by the sound of slaps and the wailing of grown men.

“Clint, you could not pull off red and Tony, stop groping him.”

“He started it!” they answered in unison.

Natasha shook her head. One year. The domesticity was awful(ly nice).


	14. "N" as names

It was a truth universally acknowledged that Tony Stark gave nicknames like Santa gave presents. Except to those he did not care about.

But there was one person that did not quite seem to fit…

“But really, Stark: why is Tasha still Natasha?” The archer slurred one evening when he had dragged the inventor out for some drinks.

“Because she would kill me if I called her Mulan or Red Riding Hood.”

Clint snorted. “Yeah, no. Seriously.”

Tony remained silent for a long time.

“Because she has had so many names already, lives… I think she deserves one that sticks.”


	15. "O" as ordeal

“He trusts you.”

When Virginia had suddenly dragged her out for lunch, Natasha knew there was something amiss.

“I know.” she replied truthfully and waited for the other woman to continue.

“Don’t make him regret.” Miss Potts was calm but her eyes spoke volumes.

“You think I still try to deceive him?”

“No. I do not. not anymore. Just…” Virginia paused for a moment before her lips curled into a wicked smile. “… think of it as my ‘you hurt him, I hurt you’ speech.”

For the first time in ages, the master assassin gaped speechlessly.

“I don’t…”

“Yet. I know.”


	16. "P" as push

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your lovely reviews so far ♥  
> You are amazing!

“Natasha, wait!”

“Why? The plan is bulletproof.”

“But what if…”

When she looked back, it felt as if her eyes pierced through the metal of the suit right into him and he felt a shudder run down his neck even before the next words left her lips.

“I _know_ you will catch me.”

Something similar to an engineering high drowned his senses for a few seconds when the abundance of all the implications hit him. And all he managed to respond was a nod and a grunt.

And Natasha winked at him and vanished.

This… she was serious. Seriously dangerous.


	17. "Q" as question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because we all know why Tony always calls him "cupid" ;D  
> (it's starting to get a little more serious since we already crossed the middle - I hope you lovely people are fine with it)

“Do you like him?”

“Who?”

“Stark.” The archer looked at her expectantly but when she remained silent, he continued. “I mean, you like him. I can see that. Everyone can see that. But do you _like_ like him?”

The thing with Clint was that he didn’t just say he knew her, no, he really did inside and out. He also never missed his mark. Not when it really mattered.

She gave a thoughtful hum. Sure, she had thought about it from time to time. Little flashes of thought she quickly shoved away.

Love was for children.

But was it, really?


	18. "R" as reasoning

“Okay, guys: council of war.”

DUM-E whirred at him curiously while the other two rolled closer to where he sat cross-legged in the middle of his workshop.

“Reasons why it’s a bad idea: We suck at relationships, she could kill us with two eyelashes and we already know that people we like tend to wanna murder us.”

BUTTERFINGERS nudged him exasperatedly.

“Yeah, I know. Except for Rhodey, Pepper, Happy and Brucey. They are good people.”

The nudging stopped.

“Okay, aaaaand… that’s all I got. Other ideas?” Silence. “Yeah, thought so.”

With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair.


	19. "S" as song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. There's been stuff going on at home and I had a small writers block.

Despite this late hour, music sounded through the corridors of the common area. Curiously, Natasha peaked around the next corner and could not do anything but smile at what she saw: Tony Stark was immersed in some catchy pop tune, dancing. Metal or rock would not be unheard of but this was right off the charts and usually scoffed at.

At the start of a second song he finally caught sight of her but instead of being embarrassed, he just grinned, stepped towards her and winked.

“Mylady…” With that, he grabbed her hand to tug her onto his self-proclaimed dance-floor.


	20. "T" as tumble

“What?”

“Hmm?”

“You have been staring at me for about three minutes.”

“Yeah?”

“What is going on?”

The small smile gracing her lips was all it took.

“I give up.”

Not giving her time to answer, he leant forward and caught her lips with his.

The kiss was nothing like the ones he had given before: it was tender and careful and honest all at once.

To his relief she did not take long to return the gentle pressure and lace the kiss with a little more heat. Enough to ignite the annoying fluttering things deep down in his stomach.


	21. "U" as unsaid

“Welcome to the club, Stark.” Clint grinned at the man near the coffee machine and held his hand up for a high five from Natasha.

Thor and Bruce just smiled knowingly while Steve nodded contentedly.

“Maybe now he lets himself be dragged out of the workshop.” he mentioned and winked at the widow until the engineer snorted.

“Seriously, Tony, you need more sleep.”

Coulson shook his head. “Nat, I think I can’t trust your judgment anymore. Not with…” he waved at Tony, but the corners of his eyes crinkled playfully. “…This.”

The best people just do not need verbal indication.


	22. "V" as virtue

“If you don’t stop right now I swear…”

“Do tell me…” Her challenging look was doing nothing to his composure.

“If you don’t pull your zipper back up I swear I will have Dum-E drag you out of the workshop.”

The words only earned him an incredulous eyebrow but he just crossed his arms and looked at her stubbornly.

“Why?” she asked and there was utter bafflement in her voice. “Don’t tell me you want to protect my decency.” She scoffed.

“NO! For god’s sake!” Tony awkwardly shoved a hand through his hair. “I just wanted to unwrap you myself.”


	23. "W" as workout

Sweat was running down their bodies in pearls.

Their usual training has started just like every other day and since he was getting better Natasha had just recently started to teach him Russian. Apparently it only took him a few lessons to scratch together some vocabulary to talk dirty to her…

Quite keyed up with sudden impatience, she pulled him close, their lips almost touching. “Your accent is horrible.”

“But it was right! I looked it up!” Behind his grin she could see triumph mingled with anticipation.

The fond smile found her lips easily before turning into earnestness.

“Bed. Now.”


	24. "X" as xerography

Every Thursday during movie night, it was custom to watch one film, Steve had yet to see and afterwards one pretty much everyone knew and liked just to shut down and get sleepy.

Today, they were all quietly humming or at least bobbing their heads in time to Mary Poppins’ “A Spoon full of Sugar”. Steve and Bruce on their respective armchair, Thor on the plush carpet within reach of the largest bowl of popcorn and the remaining three on the large couch: Natasha cuddling comfortably with Tony while her legs were entangled with Clint’s.

Just another cozy movie night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah now we're getting to the sadistic letters...
> 
> [ Xerography ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerography)has been used for animations films (scroll down on the wikipedia entry) so this one was about some Disney stuff and I know it is far fetched but... seriously! X!  
> Tell me better words in English that start with this letter and I will kiss you!


	25. "Y" as yule

“You can’t be serious.” She really tried to be earnest but a treacherous chuckle escaped her lips as she looked at her ridiculous lover. She could get the Santa Stockings for JARVIS and the bots but this…

Tony was wearing an inconceivably hideous Santa costume and pouted with mighty force at her words. “We’re doing Secret Santa and Steve, the bastard, thought we needed a real Santa this year. I bet he cheated so I would have to do it.”

Yeah, he probably had.

Now Natasha had to laugh out loud.

He grinned. “Hey, Tasha, wanna sit on my lap?”


	26. "Z" as zealous

Small gestures of intimacy like casual touching or a little peck every now and then were normal for them.

When they were alone though, there was much ardour in their caress and when the mood struck they would make out on the couch like enamored teenagers. Natasha straddling his hips while his tongue thoroughly explored her mouth and hands found their way under her shirt.

“Seriously? I’m not in the country for two months and you two finally hook up?!” At the sound, both of them looked at Rhodey who was standing in the door staring at them with mock-exasperation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end, lovely readers.  
> Thank you for sticking around ♥! It has definitely been a great experience.  
> I would especially like to thank the lovely [letthesongtakeflight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/letthesongtakeflight/pseuds/letthesongtakeflight) for inspiring me as much as she did.
> 
> (Check out her works if you haven't done yet)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [You'll Catch Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2439152) by [letthesongtakeflight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/letthesongtakeflight/pseuds/letthesongtakeflight)




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